"This library is currently being used by someone else. Try opening it again later"

Also on X8 for Mac. I also had the same issue and in spite of multiple restarts, trashing the plist and also resetting the preferences; nothing worked. It rendered my library unusable. The library had so many issues that I got to the point where every launch of the software resulted in the spinning pinwheel of doom (Mac users will understand!). So I ended up going on a rush after launch to change the preferences to not automatically open the ‘problem’ library. Then with the library closed all I could do was to run the recovery option on the library (having closed it). However, the the ‘recovered’ library provided the “open it again later” message, so I disabled all account synchronisation and then I created a new library based on a compressed export. Having done the recovery, this at least allowed me to finally successfully use the compressed library option to export my main group set from the original library as the basis for the aforementioned new library. I was then able to drag and drop some additional references from the original library into the new version.

This process was pretty time-consuming and I have been working professionally with EndNote for years. I wanted to share this in case it is helpful to others. For my part I shall be backing up this particular library offline as the auto-synchronisation account check-in process seemed to preempt the issue (it just seemed to get stuck in an authentication cycle).

I am having this problem too! 

Restarting… cute idea, but like all the others in this thread, it didn’t work for me.  I am using a new install of X8 on a new MacBook pro with the libraries migrated from a 10.6.8 mac air with EN x4… which worked fine. Before getting to this message, the program always goes through an exercise of “indexing” all the PDFs (9K+) so that adds time to it. And this is just one of aobut 10 libraries that don’t work now.

It sounds like the developer should do something about this or let us all know what quirk they failed to mention earlier.

Thanks

Restarting… cute idea, but like all the others in this thread, it didn’t work for me.  I am using a new install of X8 on a new MacBook pro with the libraries migrated from a 10.6.8 mac air with EN x4… which worked fine. Before getting to this message, the program always goes through an exercise of “indexing” all the PDFs (9K+) so that adds time to it. And this is just one of aobut 10 libraries that don’t work now.

It sounds like the developer should do something about this or let us all know what quirk they failed to mention earlier.

Thanks

I have the same issue on my Mac. This morning I tried to open my custom library when I was offline and I got the message “This library is currently being used by someone else”. Some hours later I run the update for Endnot 8.2, but nothing changed. I can open other libraries but not my main library. What can I do?

I have seen this before if the library you are opening is in a cloud storage location like Dropbox or the iCloud. You can check if your system is set to use the iCloud for the Desktop and Documents folder:

  1. Click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner of your Mac’s screen.
  2. Select System Preferences… from the dropdown menu.
  3. Click on iCloud in the Preferences window.
  4. Click on Options next to iCloud Drive.
  5. See if the box next to Desktop & Documents Folders is checked.

If that option is checked and your library is in either of those locations or a subfolder of them, that can cause this to occur. I would suggest clicking the Go menu and selecting Home. Create a new folder under your Home folder. Next, see if you can repair your library and save the new copy to that new folder. You can try the Standard Recovery steps found here:

https://support.clarivate.com/Endnote/s/article/EndNote-The-proper-process-for-recovering-library-files

I was able to solve this issue, similar setup x8 on a Mac High Sierra.

The library that had the issue was backed up using iCloud (in Documents), if yours is the same make sure that both the .enl file, and the .data folder are downloaded to your computer (by clicking the cloud with the down-arrow icon).  

I was getting the error when I had downloaded the .enl (which is used when you go to open a library), but not the associated .data folder.

So I’ve tried every hint possible, uninstalling and reinstalling EndNote, rebuilding my library, moving my library and recreating the data file.  It hangs with the spinning wheel or says the library is being used by another user every time.  I just upgraded to x8 for Mac this month.  Any other suggestions to try?

:confounded:

I have the same problem. Have had endless problems with Endnote since moving from PC to Mac.

I have built up my Endnote library for about 20 yr and have 19K references , many with my own notes, so this is mega for me.

I have managed to get the library back, but am getting sick and tired of this and think Clarivate need to sort it out. I think this the third time I have had to recreate the library in the past year.

Anyhow, here is what I do.

  1. Create a new folder - this time I put it on the Home file, as suggested by Clarivate guy above - it does seem that the Cloud storage doesn’t agree with Endnote.

  2. Copy your .enl file, save it to the new folder and rename it.

  3. I found I could then open the new, renamed version, but only after a warning that I’d lose all the pdfs, etc because I did not have the associated .Data files.

If you succeed in opening your renamed .enl this will create a new .Data folder.

I tried copying the original rdb, tdb and PDF folders into this, but then I got the error message again. So something in those is what is causing the problem.

For me this is not such a big deal, as I don’t use the PDF option. I am sorry to have lost my personalised list of index codes, but I will press on and see if it might be possible to recreate them. But at least the 19K references are back.

Oh, and one more thing. If I then open the restored and renamed .enl file and try to sync, it explains it will merge with the last synced reference set. So I now have two copies of every reference. I did ultimately find a way to remove the duplicates, but this is a pain as well.

Hope someone else finds this useful

Same problem with me…I can only open the fiel if I rename the data folder to something else. They need to fix this! I updated my mac OS today as well.

Every time there’s an update everything gets messed up. So sick of it.

I’m having the same problem after updating my mac OS - never fails that everything gets messed up after a new update. I can’t use the data folder if it has the same name as the endnote library file.

I have followed your steps and you are right that desktop and documents folders are checked in chrome. However I get the following message (attached) when I uncheck them. I’m not sure whether I will lose things by unchecking the box, or if I need to do something to safeguard things. Also where is the go and home that you’re suggesting?

Thanks for your help

Angela

I have followed your steps and you are right that desktop and documents folders are checked in chrome. However I get the following scary message when I uncheck them.

if you continue items will be removed from the Desktop and the Documents folder on this Mac and will remain available in icloud …

I’m not sure whether I will lose things by unchecking the box, or if I need to do something to safeguard things. Also where is the go and home that you’re suggesting?

Thanks for your help

Ange1

It helped to move the .enw file into a new folder, and open it in EndNote from the new folder placement.

Didn’t need to rename, and the reference works fine.

Thank you for all tips in this thread!

It helped to move the .enw file into a new folder, and open it in EndNote from the new folder placement.

Didn’t need to rename, and the reference works fine.

Thank you for all tips in this thread!

HI Guys, I had the same problem with my endnote after updating the OS.  I managed to get my library to open, with attachments and grouped as previous by just moving the endnote .enl and .data files from the cloud account onto my computer hardrive. the transfer seemed to take a couple of hours (8gb). Hope its this easy for others with the same problem.

Thanks, it’s help me too

I want to pass on a good piece of advice  to solve this issue that I got from a Norwegian customer supporeter (thanks, Thorgrim) a few years back and that I just now checked (high Sierra + Endnote X8), is still working (with the same and other error messages indicating a corrupted library): 

Create a new folder

Move the .enw file into the folder, double-click it. 

If the enw.file is not currupted, it will open in Endnote, creating automatically a new data folder (with the subfolders PDF, rdb and tdb) - but of course without the PDF’s of your old library.

Then copy the pdf’s from your old library to the new PDF folder. 

This did not solve my problem. None of the suggestions about copying the file and placing somewhere else solve the problem. Currently, I have no access to my main library. I tried a different library and it opened fine. But this makes no sense, as I was using my main library just yesterday on the same computer. Nothing has changed since then. How has the library suddenly become corrupted?

Did you copy both the .enl file and the .DATA folder to the same new location?